Fiefs Vendéens

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Terroir

• The geographical area lies between the Vendée bocage to the north and the cereal plain of Luçon to the south, along the edge of the Armorican Massif stretching from Les Sables-d'Olonne to Fontenay-le-Comte.
• The vineyards are planted on slopes generally between 3% and 5%, oriented mainly south to south-west, where the edge of the massif is cut through by the river network.
• The geological substratum consists mainly of schists and rhyolites, sometimes gneiss and amphibolites, and in places limestone for the Vix geographical sub-denomination, the latter often covered by fluvial sandy-gravelly deposits of the Tertiary era.
• The delimited plots for harvesting generally have acidic brown soils with a high proportion of coarse elements, distinct from the deep silty soils of the bocage and the fertile clay soils of the plain.
• The temperate oceanic climate of southern Vendée is warmer, less rainy, and sunnier than that of the bocage further north, with a rainfall deficit during summer, the Olonne and La Rochelle areas recording an average of 1,430 hours of sunshine from June to September.
• Mean annual temperatures range between 12°C and 12.5°C, with more marked temperature ranges from west to east as altitude increases and maritime influence diminishes.
• The delimited parcels for grape harvesting are strictly defined as those presenting healthy, shallow, and moderately fertile soils with a limited water-holding capacity.

• By the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Chenin was already the dominant white variety, referred to as 'Franc Blanc' in Brem and 'Blanc d'Aunis' in Vix, according to the writings of Rabelais.
• The rosé and red wines were dominated by Pinot noir and, above all, Négrette, known as 'Pinot Rosé' or 'Bourgogne' in Brem, 'Ragoûtant' in Mareuil and Chantonnay, and 'Folle Noire' in Vix.
• The label 'Anciens Fiefs du Cardinal' was created in 1953 in reference to Richelieu, ordained Bishop of Luçon in 1608 and a great promoter of the wines of the Mareuil geographical sub-denomination.

• The white wines, refined and delicate, generally display fine minerality and a broad range of floral and fruity notes, in a balance tilted towards freshness.
• The red wines of the Brem and Pissotte sub-denominations frequently show a ruby to garnet colour and are round and elegant, while those of Mareuil, Chantonnay, and Vix can be more deeply coloured and offer a more structured palate.

• The generous sunshine of the southern Vendée climate, combined with hillside soils that are stony and shallow, predominantly of schistous or rhyolitic origin, has oriented viticulture in the Fiefs Vendéens appellation towards a tradition of mainly rosé and red wines.
• Local variations in the natural factors of soil and climate have led producers towards different grape-variety strategies and blending traditions depending on the geographical sub-denomination, resulting in distinct nuances on the palate across the wines.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

Dénominations géographiques complémentaires

• Fiefs Vendéens Brem AOC (PDO)
• Fiefs Vendéens Chantonnay AOC (PDO)
• Fiefs Vendéens Mareuil AOC (PDO)
• Fiefs Vendéens Pissotte AOC (PDO)
• Fiefs Vendéens Vix AOC (PDO)

All appellations in France

Sources

• Product specification (BO Agri, PDF) — approved 14 avril 2022 publié au JORF du 21 avril 2022, JORF 21 avril 2022
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — InterLoire